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Britain sends in troops as floodwaters force residents of York to flee

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Members of the emergency services transport residents to safety after their homes were affected by floodwaters in York, northern England, on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Britain's government has dispatched more troops to tackle “unprecedented” flooding in northern England which has forced hundreds to flee their homes, including in the historic tourist city of York.

Prime Minister David Cameron made the announcement on Sunday after hosting a conference call of the emergency COBRA committee on the floods, which have caused chaos during the post-Christmas holiday period.

Cameron was expected to tour the affected areas on Monday, British media reported, as rivers across the region burst their banks and emergency workers paddled in dinghies to save stranded residents.

The industrial cities of Leeds and Manchester and towns and villages around them have also been hit by flooding, as well as Lancashire in northwest England.
Emergency services workers paddle down Huntington Road in York, past a submerged car on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Emergency services workers paddle down Huntington Road in York, past a submerged car on Sunday. Photo: AFP

An extra 200 soldiers are being sent in to work with the 300 already on the ground, aiding hundreds of rescuers and volunteers who have been on high alert since Christmas Day due to heavy rain forecasts.

“A further 1,000 military personnel are being held in reserve should the situation worsen,” Cameron's Downing Street office said in a statement, calling the flooding an “unprecedented event”.

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